NATIONAL EPIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1940, Page 5

NATIONAL EPIC

FINNISH VALOUR & SKILL PRAISED URGENT NEED OF MATERIAL SUPPLIES. EXPOSURE OF RUSSIAN INCOMPETENCE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 4. “The Times,” in a leading article, surveys the campaigning of the last, fortnight. It. says that, the magnificent fighti'ng qualities of the Finnish soldiers won them a victory which may well take its place among the epics of the nation. It expresses the view that, next to their intense superiority of morale the greatest single advantage of the Finnish troops has been their ability to fight on skis.

“They have in the most literal sense been able to make rings round a soldiery indifferently clad and compelled to stumble and flounder their way through deep snow in field boots.” says “The Times.” In a further reference to the effect of the weather on the Russian attacks, "The Times” remarks that “the big snows” of winter have not yet covered the country. It continues: “M Stalin’s military incompetence and political miscalculation have contributed almost as much to the Soviet failure as the brilliant strategy and tactics of FieldMarshal Mannerheim and General Wallenius. Russians living closest to Finland would probably have been better capable of enduring the. conditions of the Arctic than those who have, in fact, been sent, but, as Sir Paul Dukes pointed out, it is usually difficult to persuade Red soldiers to attack peoples with whom they are acquainted as neighbours. The invaders, therefore, have had to be drawn from the more distant parts of the country. “Russian troops notoriously depend more than most on good leadership, and M Stalin has destroyed for political reasons a large proportion of his best professional officers. Fatalistic by nature, Russian soldiers have had in the past a fanatical belief in God and country. Now, as has been pointed out by a shrewd Italian commentator, M Stalin has liquidated these ideals, and slogans have proved to be but a feeble substitute for faith and love of country.” Concluding, "The Times” says: "In spite of her brilliant success, Finland is in urgent need of fresh material for war. It is essential in the interests of the future of all nations that her power of resistance shall not be allowed to be broken.” NORDIC PEOPLES DANISH NEWSPAPER'S CLAIM. RIGHT OF TRANSMITTING HELP TO FINLAND. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, January 5. “It is unnecessary for Germany to warn the northern countries against allowing their territories to be used for military purposes by the Great Powers,” states the National Tidende.” “Such a possibility does not exist, but moral and material claims are put too high when they demand that the Nordic peoples shall prevent two Great Powers from bringing help to Finland, which is menaced by superior forces of Bolshevism.” TRUTH FROM THE AIR i — ! PAMPHLETS FOR RUSSIAN TROOPS. OFFERED GOOD TREATMENT AS PRISONERS. (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) HELSINKI, January 5. A squadron of Finnish warplanes dropped three million leaflets over Leningrad and the enemy troops on the Karelian Isthmus yesterday. These were rather in *ie nature of pamphlets. with illustrations that gave the true facts of the position in Finland. They promised the Russians, if they were taken prisoner, that they would receive warm clothing, good boots and food.

NOTABLE SUCCESS RUSSIAN ROUT ON SALLA FRONT. AFTER TWO DAYS OF HEAVY FIGHTING. (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, January 5. The Finnish Embassy states that the Finns have penetrated Russia to a depth of 10 Io 15 miles in the direel ion of Grigoriev and have been fighting on Russian territory for several days. According to reports from Stockholm the Finns won the battle of Kuelajarvi and recaptured Salla, the key town in this area. The Russians brought up fresh troops, but were unable to repel repeated Finnish attacks. Finnish staff officers report that the victory at Salla was on the same scale as at Kiantajarvi, earlier in the week, when a Russian division was annihilated. The Russians routed on the Salla front are reported to be fleeing in confusion across the frontier, after two days of heavy fighting.